Puzzles

When I was 2 or 3, my favorite time of the year was always when Grandma came to visit. First, because she was the only grandma that actually let me call her Grandma. And second, because I knew that an hour after she got to the house, she would sit down with me and we would spend the rest of her time with us putting together jigsaw puzzles one piece at a time. It was like Christmas every time she came for a visit. And then she decided to move 15 minutes away from us. Which was pretty cool. Then she decided to come live with us. I lived with Grandma for 15 years. I think that’s something that not a lot of people get to say.

I got to see Grandma every day for 15 years. Every Wednesday she would take me for donuts or ice cream. We’d have craft days where we’d spend all day together making things, painting things. Those times were really special.

Today, my grandmother passed away, but I got to spend 24 years on this earth with her as my grandma. And I know she loved me and that she was very proud of the life I put together for myself. I know that she loved Branden just as much as she loved me.

I will miss her weird sense of humor and her laughter and her crazy stories. But mostly, I will miss her. She taught me so many things. She taught me how to be strong, how to stand up for myself, and how to never give up on anything you really want. Even if that means after you by a table, you have to buy another one three months from now.

This is my favorite picture of her. It was taken at my wedding. She didn’t know that it was taken. But it was my favorite picture in the whole batch of wedding photos.

Thanks, Grandma, for all the puzzles.